A Mother's Determination
by Yunnora Lovespell
Summary: A mother's determination is strong in the face of adversity. Set just after Chara and Asriel's deaths. Toriel is in mourning and Asgore is trying to pick up the pieces.


**Hey guys! This is my first Undertale fanfiction.**

 **OOH my goodness I LOVE this game. Hands down the best game I've ever played. It's lore, the characters, ourselves involved with all the fourth wall breaks- just awesome. Anyways...**

 **This little bit is set just after Chara and Asriel's deaths. Toriel is in mourning and Asgore is trying to pick up the pieces. I can only imagine how she must have felt, losing both her children in a single day and Asgore losing his entire family. Just tugs at the heart, you know?**

 **Hope you guys enjoy :)**

* * *

"Perhaps… we could try again?"

All he received in return was a sigh.

"Toriel…" Asgore's face cinched, the hardened lines around his eyes and mouth pulling at the fur around his face. "Please speak to me. It's been days."

The king's cape billowed behind him in the gentle breeze, the only place in the underground where air so fresh could penetrate the stuffiness of the underground. Above them a giant hole resided nearly unseen in a mountainside in some forgotten corner of the world, an over growth of nature hiding its very presence from the untrained eye. Long unfelt sunshine poured in from above and washed the area his wife was crouched in, highlighting the bright white tone of her fur. She looked ethereal from where the king stood, watching from the shadows, as the mother of his deceased children planted her beloved flowers directly under the hidden cavern's opening.

 _This used to be Asriel's favorite place to play_ , Asgore mused to himself. The very place their son had first found Chara, the last place Asriel's dust had settled.

The king clutched at his chest plate. It hurt to remember; to allow the memories of his fallen son's dust, scattered like volcanic ash over a bed of bright yellow flowers, to return. Staring at it now filled him something other than determination. Agony. Fear. Loss. It hurt more than any wound he had ever received in battle. No human sword could pierce him the way the death of his beloved son and step child had. And no one knew this more than the mother who cherished them more than anyone.

Toriel's hands were muddied by the time she lifted them from the neatly packed soil, her nails and fur knotted with dirt clods and bits of wild grass. Her knees were also dirty, the hem of her dress now in dire need of cleaning but she worked with such focus that she either didn't focus long to notice or just didn't care. Incandescent trails had flittered down her face, wetting a visible path of pain across her narrow cheeks.

It was hard for Asgore to see his wife in such misery. She had loved those children dearly. She single handedly had turned their castle into a home, planting buttercups in every nook and cranny just because Asriel loved them so. And the snails, god Chara loved to play with snails. Toriel had plans to go snail hunting with Chara to bring them into the royal garden. Chara would have loved it. Toriel had looked forward to it, her boots propped by the door in ready for an adventure that would never take place.

Chara getting sick, Asriel running to the surface and the humans attacking him… none of it should have happened. _None of it._ And yet there the king of the underground stood, baffled and heart broken, with not a single explanation as to why it all occurred. It seemed like there was no rhyme nor reason to the events that took place but they were still faced with the horror of the outcome. Their children were dead and nothing could possibly bring them back.

Asgore wanted to comfort her, but he was ashamed to admit he didn't know how. He, himself, was grieving. There was no one to console him but the desire for revenge. To take back the surface in the name of Monsters everywhere. In memory of his boy and the little human who had brought hope to all of those who dwelled beneath Mt. Ebott. Toriel, however, did not share his way of thinking and had made her opinion quite clear the day she left the castle.

 _"Wasn't there enough blood shed already?"_ She cried upon hearing his plans to collect the seven human SOULs. _"It won't bring them back! Asgore please don't do this."_

But he hadn't listened to her. This was the only way he knew how to deal with the pain.

So she left and with her, a vow of silence. Never would she speak to the 'killer king' as she had dubbed him. The underground had fallen into further despair upon hearing the king and the queen's separation but he had tried his best to instill as much determination and hope into them as he could. All he needed were a few more human SOULs and they could break the barrier! Just a few more and they would be free to once more roam the world of the above, to drink in the dawn and maybe even bring him closer to the realm he thought he children now resided in. Somewhere amongst the clouds, he bet, they were up there playing like children do in a heavenly patch of flowers, where they could watch the human world and all its wonders unfurl.

Asgore swallowed, his mouth drying as he fought to find the words he needed to break Toriel of her silence. No one had heard from her in _days_. Friends had said they often found her stalking the labyrinth of the ruins. Undyne had once reported Papyrus setting up puzzles there, commissioned by Toriel herself who seemed to want no one going where she was. The puzzles weren't very difficult in his opinion but their dangerous façade was enough to tell him she desired no one entering this little domain she had claimed. He understood the reason. Who in their right mind would ever want some trespasser stomping about on their child's grave? But… it just so happened that Asriel's grave was the only entrance into the underground.

Toriel had planned to keep the humans unfortunate enough to enter the ruins safe.

He could have decommissioned those traps. He could have posted guards at the mountain side opening to catch any humans that might have fallen in. He could have, but he didn't. Why? He couldn't say. He just couldn't.

So why was he here now, seeing Toriel at the grave of their son?

Well he missed her. He missed her dearly.

"Toriel please, look at me." There was desperation in his voice. "I promise to do whatever I can to bring justice to this act of terror just… just please turn around."

Toriel paused in her work long enough to wipe the sweat and tears from her face. She had lost count of the days she had spent crying her eyes out. Glancing down she finally took note of her state of dress, a chuckle wanting to spring past her lips but a saddened smile held it back. She hadn't laughed in a while. She almost forgot what it felt like to laugh, to feel joy.

But these flowers, these beautiful yellow buttercups she had planted in memory of Asriel and Chara, filled her with the upmost determination.

She was resolute not to spend her days alone, weeping through the day. It would have broken her children's hearts if they knew she had done so already. She refused to allow her heart to harden as Asgore's had. She would continue to live her days with joy and love in her SOUL, and she was determined not to let Asgore get his furry hands on any human. Evil or not, no life deserved to be taken. She believed all lives were precious and worthy of being saved, not sacrificial pieces to be torn down and inevitably forgotten. No, she would remain here in the ruins and guard it with her life. She would protect those unfortunate enough to fall in to the underground from Asgore and all who followed his call for the collection of seven human SOULs. Even if it meant betraying the trust of those who knew and loved her.

Her heart simply couldn't stand the notion of anymore death. There was enough of it to spread dust in every inch of the underground. She supposed she was the only one to see this. The others clung to what little hope was left in the underground because there was simply nothing else for them to grasp. Asgore's words had revitalized their confidence. The royal guard had never been more forthright in all her years of being queen and the people walked with smiles on their faces once more. What little good could be found in it, however, was not good enough for her.

Toriel picked up her watering can. It was heavy with water she had collected from Snowdin but she was hopeful the clean stream would feed life into the seeds she had planted. Some flowers had begun to bud, poking their little dome heads up from the ground on pencil thin stems. None of them had bloomed but she was eager to see them blossom. With the sunlight pouring in she knew they would be beautiful.

"Tori-"

She then stood, dusting what she could off her lap.

"Tori, please, don't do this."

Toriel lifted her gaze to her husband, fire raging in her soft brown eyes. "How uncanny. Isn't that exactly what I said to you?"

Asgore sighed. She sounded furious but at least she was speaking to him.

"Tori-"

"Don't _Tori_ me Dreemurr." She snapped. "I swore I'd never let you touch a human. I won't let you stop me from protecting them."

Asgore's heart clenched in protest. "No. That is not why I came here."

Toriel's eyes widened, the spark of fire in them diminishing. But she didn't look completely convinced. Just surprised.

"I don't understand."

Toriel rubbed her arms, the little buds at her feet catching in the wind and brushing gently over her ankles.

"Why are you here then?"

Asgore adjusted the trinket holding his cape together, his fingers now shaking. "I've been lost without you."

Toriel's eyes softened, her hardened constitution easing at the sight of the distraught man before her.

Tears gathered in Asgore's eyes. "Without Asriel and Chara… without you… I am alone in my grief. Every day becomes harder and harder to face. I suppose I just wanted to see you."

Toriel turned on her heels, turning her gaze up to the open sky. Tears of her own burned in her chocolate depths but she refused to let them fall.

"You shouldn't be here." She said, unable to hide the bitterness in her tone. "All you'll find is heart ache."

Asgore stepped forward. "But you're here."

Toriel's eyes fell shut. "As I said, all you will find is heart ache. Go back to the capital. Your people need you."

Asgore's fist clenched at his side. "Is there no hope for us? Are you that appalled of me?"

The goat mother broke her gaze from the sky above. The sky looked so blue. The sun so bright. At night the sky would grow as dark as the underground but instead of staying dark break out in a symphony of stars. They were nothing like the sparkling stones here in the underground. They reminded her of Chara.

"I am appalled of your choices." She went on to say. "I cannot approve of them. Every life is precious and deserves a chance."

Asgore frowned. "But the humans-"

"Would you say the same for all monsters? If they went and killed a human child?"

Asgore steeled himself. "It is not the same."

Toriel glared, her eyes reflecting the shine of the sun. "Not the same? You're just a fool then."

Toriel grabbed her watering can and tipped it over her flowers. She had already done this but she felt the need to feed her flowers some more. With real sunshine there was no telling just how much water they would need. She sprinkled water over the tallest stem she could find in the batch and pursed her lips.

"What would you have me do then?" Asgore's voice rose, his jaw clenched tightly. "I can't let monsterkind down. Those humans have driven us to the brink of destruction, stolen our lives, and destroyed our hopes and dreams." He glared at his wife's back. "They took Chara and Asriel for goodness sake. Do you expect me to stand around doing nothing about it?"

The watering can fell from Toriel's grasp as she turned on her husband.

"No! You are supposed to be our king and stand for what is right. Taking human SOULs is not it. You of all people should be able to find another way. A way that would not harm the humans." Toriel shook her head. "I know you don't want to hurt them."

Asgore turned away from her, pointedly avoiding her gaze.

"Asgore please reconsider. This 'eye for an eye' concept will not work. I'm sure Alphys can-"

"The DETERMINATION injections have been administered." Asgore admitted with a hardened tone. "Soon our armies will rise to fight. We can't stop now. Not while we have grown steps closer to freedom. Freedom Toriel! Can't you imagine it? Escape from this wretched mountainside for good. No prison of rock for us anymore."

Toriel wished she could tear the stupid king's eyes out but her motherly side admonished her for even thinking of such thoughts. Imposing her anger on him would do no one good.

"But what if it fails? You'll doom us all to an existence of which we cannot conceive."

Toriel brushed her paw over her snout. Never before did she feel more like an animal than now. Tears had collected in the center of her palm and she gripped her fingers over the salty drops.

"If this the life you have chosen for us… I want nothing to do with it."

Asgore let out a pained huff. "Tori-"

"Leave. At once." The goat mother turned her back on the king once more, determined not face him. She refused to let her resolve break. "This is a sacred place now."

The king stumbled back, agony scribbled like chicken scratch in his eyes. He had lost his children and now he had lost his wife.

"Oh my beloved." He gripped at his cape's crest once more, feeling the skin beneath his fur heating each knuckle burned in response. "Can't you see the possibilities?"

"There are none!" Toriel shrieked, her eyes pinched shut against the cry of agony wanting to leap right off her tongue.

"We could try again Tori. You and I. We thought it was impossible but Alphys made it possible for us to have Asriel. Maybe we could-"

His words swam through her ears like molasses and inevitably fell upon her deafened thoughts. She couldn't hear any more of this nonsense. They'd tried that rout and all that was left in the wake of that decision was the loss of both Asriel and Chara. She couldn't handle another loss. She couldn't possibly think to replace her baby boy or the human she had grown so close to. No it just couldn't be done. Not without rendering her heart in two for good.

"Be gone with you Asgore." The resigned queen held her ground. "Be gone with you and never return!"

The king howled in utter frustration and threw his fist into the mountain side. His knuckled collided with stone and somewhere in his hand he felt a definitive crack amongst his quivering fingers. His chest heaved. Toriel had flinched but remained standing where she was, staring defiantly into the dark abyss. She didn't want to but if she had to 'escort' Asgore out herself then so be it.

Before she even got the chance to open her mouth he spoke.

"I-I'll go." He said, his voice cracking. "Just…"

Asgore blinked to keep the tears out of his vision. He refused to cry. His pride wouldn't allow it.

"The castle doors will always be open to you."

…But there was no response…

"You'll always be my Tori."

The king left after a moment of silence. She wasn't willing to listen to him and there was nothing he could possibly say to bring her back. Where was the happy mother he had grown so accustom to seeing?

 _She died, right along with her children._

Before Toriel excused herself from her sanctuary she collapsed to her knees and wept. Darn it. She had told herself she wouldn't do this anymore. Would a river of tears be enough to satiate the beast of agony laughing at her pain?

"N-no." The goat mother sniffled. "No I can't. I can't keep doing this."

From between the spaces of her fingers soft brown eyes peered down at the growing green stems now tickling her legs. Their tiny leaves caressed the tops of her feet, peppering her ankles in gentle flutters. A broken smile made its way onto her face and she couldn't resist the urge to kneel further down. She kissed the tallest stem, the tiny bud on top flicking to the side in protest of the weight of her lips. A chuckle escaped her.

"Rest now my child." She said, standing to her full height. "The world is now your playground." She bit her lip. "So be good. Ok?"

Toriel returned to her little home in the ruins. It was quaint, small enough for a family of four with a dainty kitchen and a hall full of rooms. She took shop in her living room where the only source of light provided was from the fireplace, where a magic fire burned over a single yule log. A book shelf sat nearby and a table seated for three was placed in the corner of the room. Her rocking hair was a comfortable place to sit and she sank into it like a rock in water with a book pressed firmly to her chest.

It took her a minute to allow the emotions in her to drain. She was much too tired to deal with it anymore. She knew that one day she would move on. The wound was fresh but eventually the pain would subside. She had a purpose in life and that was to remain here, in the ruins, to protect both humankind and monsterkind from the severity of Asgore's rule. For now she would take solace in her isolation and look forward to the new day. The happy images of her children painted so fresh in her mind they followed her like video recordings into her dreams. The book in her hands, 72 Uses for Snails, fell open on her lap as she slept the hours away. A genuine smile graced her face as dreams of her smiling boy and the happy little human filled her once more with forgotten joy.

Back in the depths of the ruins, within the leaflets of her growing little garden, a single standing stem wiggled to life. Water drops that had been left behind were immediately soaked into the earth, causing the dainty little petals of the bud to suddenly bloom open. A frightened little voice sprang forth in the darkness, a spotlight of yellow lighting only the little patch of grass from where it sprouted, leaving the rest of its world shrouded in mystery.

"M-m…mommy?"

A mystery it would come to learn as a _kill_ or _be killed_ world.


End file.
